KUULKAJA

KUULKAJA |

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These paintings are by students in the remote community

schools. Acrylic on canvas, 30cm x 30cm, $60 Click the artwork thumbnail to learn more!

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19-888

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19-720

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19-734

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19-732

19-749

19-886

19-721

KUULKAJA | These paintings are by students in the remote community schools.

Click the artwork thumbnail to learn more!

19-623

19-751

19-763

19-742

19-726

19-723

19-738

19-736

19-633

19-733

19-620

19-756

19-891

19-727

19-889

19-636

19-754

19-626

19-893

19-619

19-731

19-760

19-884

19-758

19-883

19-753

19-744

19-627

19-759

19-624

19-745

19-755

19-885

19-935

19-747

19-735

19-748

19-637

19-722

19-887

19-737

19-724

19-892

19-741

19-934

19-762

19-743

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KUULKAJA (MARTU SCHOOLS)

Martu children attend school in the remote communities of Punmu, Parnngurr, Kunawarritji, Irrungadji and Warralong.

This exhibition recognises the Kuulkaja as being at the heart of each community, and celebrates the important role they play in keeping culture, Country and language strong.

For sales inquiries please contact Martumili Artists.

E: cma@eastpilbara.wa.gov.au PH: (08) 9175 1020

Biddy Bunawarrie Untitled

#19-437 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 121cm $1,600 Biddy lives at Warralong Community with her family. Warralong community is located 120 kilometres south east of Port Hedland and 50 kilometres north of Marble Bar in the Pilbara, between the Shaw and De Grey Rivers.

Strelley community school lies at the heart of the small community of Warralong, and Biddy, alongside many of the Martumili Artists residing in the community, use the school facilities to paint in.

Bugai Whyoulter Wangkakarlu

#15-604 acrylic on canvas, 122cm x 91cm $4,600 Wangkakalu is a claypan and special meeting place to the southeast of Parnngurr Aboriginal Community.

The landscape at Wangkakarlu is characterised by especially large tuwa (sandhills). Large numbers of Martu people would gather regularly for ceremonies at this yinta (permanent water source). When the other claypans and yinta in the area overfl w with water, the excess runoff collects here.

Bugai lived nomadically with her family for much of her life, travelling extensively around the Western Desert from her birth place near Balfour Downs Station (west of Parnngurr), right through Jigalong, along the Canning Stock Route and up to Kunawarritji (Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route). Bugai stayed around Wangkakalu with the Eubena family during this period. Speaking of the ‘quick one’ jila (snake) at Wangakalu, Bugai says that when visiting the site a fi e must be lit to keep the snake that lives in the depths of the yinta from surfacing.

Judith Anya Sampson Untitled

#19-507 acrylic on canvas, 152cm x 76cm $2,800 “Thats Kumpupirntily- Lake Disappointment. The Cannibals live underneath the lake there, its a salt lake. [gesturing to the u-shaped symbols in the painting] That’s all the ladies sitting around the lake, sitting around the the claypans in the lake. That’s our Country, mine and Yunkurra’s Country.”

- Judith Anya Samson This painting depicts Lake Disappointment near Puntawarri. Dunes and green grasses surround the large salt lake.

Kumpupirntily is one of the most sacred and dangerous sites in the far Western Desert. This is where the Ngayurnangalku (cannibal beings of the Dreamtime) live beneath the lake, surfacing only to feed on human flesh In pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) times, the artist’s family lived nomadically on these lands, moving from water source to water source hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances, visiting some areas in the dry and some in the wet season depending on the availability of water.

As they travelled and hunted they would also burn areas of country, creating a larger diversity of plant and animal life.

Lorna Linmurra Untitled

#19-512 acrylic on canvas, 122cm x 76cm $1,400 This painting portrays physical elements of Martu Country, such as the dominant tali (sandhills), warta (trees, vegetation), and water sources. Rock holes, waterholes, soaks and springs were all extremely important sites for Martu people during the pujiman (nomadic bush) era, with many important jukurrpa (dreamtime stories) chronicling the creation of these landmarks.

In the past the Martu lived nomadically, moving from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances annually, visiting specific a eas in the dry and wet season depending on the availability of water. As they travelled and hunted they would also burn areas of country creating a larger diversity of plant and animal life.

Pukina Burton Untitled

#12-182 acrylic on canvas, 150cm x 150cm $6,500 This painting depicts the waterholes and tali (sandhills) in the artist’s country near Punmu. Rockholes, waterholes, soaks and springs were important sites for Martu people during pujiman (bush) days.

The Martu lived very nomadically moving from water source to water source hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances visiting some areas in the dry and some in the wet season depending on the availability of water. As they travelled and hunted they would also burn areas of country creating a larger diversity of plant and animal life.

Nancy Patterson Pinyirr (dec) Jartalti Warla

#12-427 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 91cm $1,900 “My ngurra (home), Jila Kutjara (two snakes) there in the warla (lake), big one spring in the warla, big one warla.�

- Nancy Pinyirr Patterson This painting portrays Jartalti, a warla (salt lake) not far from the community of Parnngurr (Cotton Creek). This is the artist’s ngurra (home) where she grew up with her family during the pujiman (traditional bush-dwelling) days.

The circles are representative of water or springs that are within the lake itself.

Amy French Port Hedland Seawater

#14-353 acrylic on canvas, 152cm x 106cm $4,800 “Everybody been playing cards in the park and then the kids saw him - that shark. They got him though, he’s finished. Big one too.

There is also a dingo too. The pink one the rocks too, and there is that white kapi (water) on the rocks [waves]” - Amy French

Lily Jatarr Long Karlamilyi

#17-818 acrylic on canvas 106cm x 152cm $4,800 “This Karlamilyi area, big land. That’s a ngurra (home camp) belonging to our old people, Warnman people. We talk for our land, our jila (dreamtime snake). At Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora) two snakes been killed. Right here they got crook in the dreamtime. All the men, Nyanatjarra and Warnman, they were singing. One young fella, he threw a spear into the snake. That snake felt something there, got killed and burned.

There’s a big rain there, rain time. That river running through, he called Pirnpi. Whitefella way is Rudall River. There’s a bird, karuwarlkun (magpie), flying and singing everywhere in the Rudall River there. There’s a claypan there too, big claypan. Pangkartal we call him. Fill him up water when the rain time comes. Snake living there in Pangkartal, big one. He [the snake] going to listen to the owner of the land. When we sing out to him in a Warnman way, we tell him “Stop, don’t get cheeky. We coming in [to the land]”.

He not cheeky, he a good one. Quiet snake.

The name for Kintyre is Yantikuji (Yandicoogina), red hill over there. They working, doing the mining there now. Next to Yantikuji is a big claypan, Wulpulpa, main camp and a water. That’s a hunting place. Plenty of bush tucker round there; kanjamarra (yam, bush carrot), like a carrot growing in the ground in the river bed there. You pull it out, just like a carrot! Lungki (witchedy grub), and jatarrpa, that’s like a seed, you gotta clean him up and grind it to make a flour wheat, make a damper in the waru (fire). We gonna get that seed and show you fellas. Minyarra (bush onion) there, and ngapurta (sweet, patterned green fruit, eaten raw), they all grow in the river banks.

I [Lily Long] was born there in Karlamilyi River, that’s my Country. Jartarr Ngarra, that’s the name for the place and that’s my name.

That’s the living water place.”

- Lily Long and Amy French This painting depicts Karlamilyi, also known as Rudall River National Park. It is situated in between the communities of Parnngurr and Punmu and is a very beautiful and important area. Rudall River runs through Karlamilyi into Nyayartakujarra, or Lake Dora, a very large salt warla (lake). Karlamilyi is Warnman country, and lies in the very heart of the Martu homelands.

Thelma Judson Yimirri Salt Country

#19-782 acrylic on canvas, 152cm x 122cm $5,500 “Yimiri is a salt lake, there’s two water in the middle, drinking water. That’s a drinking water for us. You can walk right up to lake in the middle of the salt. It’s fresh and beautiful. You gotta sing out for Yimiri, that’s a snake Country. That’s a special water place.

We sing out for water; “Yimiri, I’m coming to visit you, I’m coming for fresh water.”

- Thelma Judson This painting portrays sources of kapi (water) surrounding Thelma’s traditional country in the Yimiri area.

Yimiri comprises two soaks situated in the middle of a salt lake in the Percival Lakes area. Around the waterhole the country is dominated by tuwa (sand hills), depicted here with lines and sections of colour.

During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) days, Thelma and her family travelled extensively through this County; their ngurra (home). The family would move up and down through the lake country to different waterholes, soaks and rock holes. When it was raining they would build a wunkurrl (shelter) where they could sleep and stay warm with waru (fi e).

When they were camping, all of the older people in the group would go hunting; their grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. The kids would stay behind, playing around in the tuwa (sand hills), catching parla-parla (lizards) and niyari, a small spiky lizard.

Billy Yunkurra Atkins Untitled

#19-72 acrylic on canvas, 122cm x 76cm $3,700

““If they dig him up, anybody, blackfella, whitefellas they’ll get killed! Ngayurnangalku still there [in Kumpupirntily]. No people gotta go come to this place. If they go there it’s one way! There’s a cannibal there. Don’t come to this place- you might get killed! They gonna eat you for lunch! Don’t go, keep away!!

Some people paint a rockhole, only rockhole. Nothing. I got story. Jukurrpa. Full up....”

- Billy Yunkurra Atkins This painting depicts Yunkurra’s Country; Kumpupirntily (Lake Disappointment) in the Canning Stock Route area.

This large warla (salt lake) is one of the most sacred and dangerous sites in the far Western Desert. This is where the Ngayurnangalku (cannibal beings) live beneath the lake, surfacing only to feed on human flesh

Doreen Chapman Untitled

#18-1170 acrylic on linen, 122cm x 91cm $2,700 Doreen first learned to paint alongside her mothe , beginning her artistic career with Martumili Artists in March 2009 when she and the other women of Punmu painted a large collaborative artwork to raise funds for the community.

Doreen is now an established artist in her own right, known for her loose, uninhibited painting style. As a deaf woman, painting is an important means of communication and expression for Doreen.

Doreen likes to paint the comings and goings of community life- the motorcars, aeroplanes and critters that populate her homes of Warralong, Punmu and Port Hedland.

Hayley Atkins Bush Trip

#14-599 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 46cm $750 “We were the first ones to get bogged on that trip, we wanted to move but we couldn’t, we were in the way. She (Emmaline) got out and dug the wheel out. All the ladies, they loved her. All those old people. She was a special lady on that trip. She did everything there plus she was helping me as well when we was working. I went here empty headed, I didn’t know anything, I didn’t even know the Canning Stock Route existed.

I have good memories of that trip. I was working and painting with her (Emmaline). And she seen that painting of her and she liked it. When I first painted it, it looked like it was real.”

- Hayley Atkins, 2014 This work documents one of the bush trips for the Canning Stock Route Project. The first t oopie in line is the Martumili troopie and trailer with all the art materials. Gabrielle Sullivan is driving, while Gabe’s dog Tinker and the artist, Hayley Atkins sit in the back together. Emmaline Schooneveldt-Reid is digging out the troopie wheel.

Helen Samsom Untitled

#14-754 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 46cm $750 “They’re going that way, Puntawarri, all the motorcars and Martukaja there, kid ones. Whitefella too. They all got down from the motorcars, looking at the Country. Trip to Country, you know? All the wartakaja (trees) there, kapi (water).

Make them get happy, all laughing! All the kids. Happy to be on Country! Yes.” This painting is a portrayal of Puntawarri, a now abandoned community in-between Jigalong and the Canning Stock Route.

Puntawarri is on the middle stretches of the Canning Stock Route, near Well 17 also known as Durba Springs. This place is an important cultural area, east of the Jigalong Aboriginal Community, where the artist now lives with her family. The old people used to live here and work here. The road goes from Jigalong past Puntawarri and onto Pimpi, and then continues to the Canning Stock Route. There is a waterhole here where the old bush people used to go to in the pujiman (traditional, desert-dw elling) days while they were still walking around that Country.

Noreena Kadibil Granddaughters at Parnngurr School #19-73 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 61cm $1,100

“In 1984 my nyupa (partner) Mr Williams and I moved our family from Jigalong to Parnngurr community. Our five children were all young back then. People wanted to mine at Parnngurr. There was lots of drilling going on.

There wasn’t much out there when Parnngurr community formed, just a bow shelter, a windmill and a 44 gallon drum. We worked hard for there to be a good school in community. If there was going to be teachers at the school they needed somewhere to live. The first teacher to work at Parnngurr school lived in a caravan. I worked alongside her at the school. The school is different now. It’s grown a lot. There are more buildings, and a new basketball court was recently built. A lot of people have worked hard to make the school a good place.

This painting shows the Parnngurr School and two of my granddaughters, Yvette and Jessica. My granddaughters attended Parnngurr School when they were kids, they’re teenagers now.”

- Noreena Kadibil Noreena Kadibil is a Martu artist currently living in Parnngurr community. Noreena is known for her historical paintings, sharing significant fami y histories through her work. Noreena regularly paints the Parnngurr School. Community schools are vital components of remote communities, enabling young families to continue living in community, providing employment and an opportunity for two-way learning.

Noreena has close ties to Parnngurr School. She was employed as a Martu teacher when the school was first ormed, and many of her children and grandchildren have either attended or been employed by the school.

Depicting her grandchildren alongside Parnngurr School illustrates the continuing importance of the school within Noreena’s family and the wider community.

Noreena Kadibil Parnngurr School

#18-935 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 61cm $1,100 “In 1984 my nyupa (partner) Mr Williams and I moved our family from Jigalong to Parnngurr community. Our five children were all young back then. People wanted to mine at Parnngurr. There was lots of drilling going on.

There wasn’t much out there when Parnngurr community formed, just a bow shelter, a windmill and a 44 gallon drum. We worked hard for there to be a good school in community. If there was going to be teachers at the school they needed somewhere to live.

The first teacher to work at Parnngurr school lived in a caravan. I worked alongside her at the school. The school is different now.

It’s grown a lot. There are more buildings, and a new basketball court was recently built. A lot of people have worked hard to make the school a good place.”

- Noreena Kadibil Noreena Kadibil is a Martu artist currently living in Parnngurr community. Noreena is known for her historical paintings, sharing significant fami y histories through her work. Noreena regularly paints the Parnngurr School. Community schools are vital components of remote communities, enabling young families to continue living in community, providing employment and an opportunity for two-way learning.

Noreena has close ties to Parnngurr School. She was employed as a Martu teacher when the school was first ormed, and many of her children and grandchildren have either attended or been employed by the school.

Depicting her grandchildren alongside Parnngurr School illustrates the continuing importance of the school within Noreena’s family and the wider community.

Lorna Linmurra Untitled

#19-744 acrylic on canvas, 46cm x 76cm $550

Helen Samsom Untitled

#19-606 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 152cm $1,900

Cyril Whyoulter Untitled

#19-273 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 46cm $950

Bugai Whyoulter Kurta Kurta

#19-677 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 46cm $1,300

Amy French Untitled

#19-25 acrylic on canvas, 60cm x 90cm $ 1,600

Dadda Samson Untitled

#19-673 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 61cm $1,600

Doreen Chapman Untitled

#19-700 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 61cm $950

Corban Clause Williams Kaalpa (Well 23)

#19-676 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 46cm $700

Judith Anya Samson Rabbit Proof Fence

#19-567 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 61cm $1,900

Edwina Booth Untitled

#19-517 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 61cm $500

Robina Clause Untitled

#19-695 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 61cm $500

Nancy Pinyirr Patterson (dec) Untitled

#12-648 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 91cm $2,400

Janita Angie Untitled

#19-482 acrylic on canvas, 46cm x 30cm $190

Azaniah Burton and Jake Burton Jila Jila Spring

#19-691 acrylic on canvas, 64cm x 46cm $295

May Burton Untitled

#19-369 acrylic on canvas, 46cm x 76cm $450

Marianne Burton Untitled

#19-588 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 91cm $1,500

Elizabeth Toby Lake

#18-991 acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 91cm $1,400

Ngamaru bidu Untitled

#19-544 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 91cm $1,900

Miriam Atkins Untitled

#19-775 acrylic on canvas, 152cm x 76cm $1,900

Beverly Rogers Untitled

#19-565 acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 91cm $770

Yikartu Bumba Untitled

#19-773 acrylic on canvas, 46cm x 61cm $ 850

Noelene Girgiba KJ Trip

#19-544 acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 36cm $450